Safety device for water-gages.



No. 7o5,||3. Patented my 22, |902.

J. A, MosHER. SAFETY DEVICE FR WATER GAGES.

(Application filed Oct. 25, 1901.)

(H0 Model.)

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UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN A. MOSHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS da`VVESTLAKE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR VVATERNGAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N o. 705,113, dated July22, 1902.

Application filed October 25,1901. Serial No. 79,957. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN A. MOSHER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices forWater- Gages, of whichsthe following is a specilication and which areillustrated iu the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The object of the invention is to automatically disconnect thegage-glass from the tank, so that in the event of breakage of the glassthere will be no escape of pressure; and a further objectis toautomatically render the gage non-indicating when cut off from the tank,so that the observer will not be misled, as he will be compelled to openthe connection with the tank in orderto get any reading whatever.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in connection withacetylene-gas generators to prevent escape of gas should the gageglassbe broken, but may of course be used in any situation where `the liquidmay be un,- der pressure.

The invention comprises a tank, a gageglass, connection between the tankand the glass, avalve in the said connection, a shield in front of thegage-glass, means for moving the shield to expose the glass when thevalve in the connection is opened, and means for closing the valve andmoving the shield in front of the gage-glass.

The invention consists of the arrangement and combination of partshereinafter described and which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of a tank with glassgage for indicating the height of water in the tank and showing myinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the gage andthe shield, and Figs. 3 and arelate to details.

In the Idrawings I have shown at IO a watertank used with anacetylene-gas generator, at 11 the outlet-pipe leading therefrom to thegenerating-tank, and at I2 an overflow-pipe extending from thegenerating-tank to the top of the Water-tank. The inlet-pipe of the tankis not shown. The gage glass or tube 13 communicates with the tank 10through a oonnection 14, leading from its upper end through the top ofthe tank, and a connection 15, leading to the bottom of the tank or intothe pipe II, as shown in the drawiugs,`the said connections beingcoupled with the gage-tube by nuts 16, which are provided withwater-tight packing 17. Y

Located in the connections I4 l5 are valves 18 I9, having the ports I8and which are coupled so as to move simultaneously. The type illustratedbeing rotary oscillating valves, such coupling may consist of the rod20, the ends of which are connected with the inwardly-extending stems 2l22 of the valves by threaded sleeves 23 24. The stems2l 22 are providedwith apertures for the reception of screws 25, passing through the saidsleeves in order to insure the alinement of the valves and theconsequent simultaneous opening of the passagein the connections 14 l5.The valves are held normally closed by a spring 26, which may be coiledabout an extension 27 of one of the valves, as I9, and have one of itsends anchored thereto and the other, as at 28, to the connection 15.

Inclosing the gage-tube 13 and having a sight opening or aperture 29 isa tubular shield 30, the ends of which fit loosely in the flanged ends3l of the nuts 16, and the said shield is provided with a gear 32, whichmeshes with and is turned by a gear 33 on the sleeve 2l at the lower endof the rod 20.

As shown in the drawings, the valves are designed to make one-fourthrevolution in opening or closing, being limited to such movement by apin 34 on the extension of the valve I0 and playing in a recess 35 inthe valve-plug 19 of the valve 19, and the sightopening 29 in the shieldis so positioned with relation to the gear 32 that when the valve isopened to the limit of its movement the gage-tube will be exposedthrough the opening.

For convenience in inserting and removing the shield 30 it is preferablymade in two telescoping sections, one of which is provided with a slot36 to receive a set-screw 37, carried by the other section', insuringthe proper alinement of the two sections for the sightopening 29.

Either or both of the valves are provided with finger-pieces 38 forturning the valves.

IOO

Whenever it is desired to ascertain the quantity of water in the tank,the shield is moved away from in front of the gage-tube, this being doneby turning one of the valves 18 19, which through the connecting rodopens the other valve and also through the medium of the gearing rotatesthe shield. The water in the gage-tube im mediately seeks the level ofthe water in the tank and of course remains at the level then reachedafter the valves close under the influence of the spring 26, when theiinger-piece held is released until the valves are again opened. Theseautomtically-closing valves prevent the escape of gas should there beany in the `tank and should the gage-glass be broken,

while the presence of the shield prevents a false reading of the gage,as the valves are necessarily opened at each reading, thus allowing thewater to instantly assume the level of that within the' tank.

While a pair of valves is shown and connection between the shield andvalves is by means of gears, it is obvious that any form of sight-shield:coupled in any manner with the automatically-closing valve or valves,so that the gage is normally cut off from the tank and is exposed toView only when connected therewith, would come within the scope of theinvention.

I claim as my inventionl. In combination, a tank, a transparentgage-tube, means for obscu ring the gage-tube and means for cutting itoi from the tank, and means for simultaneously exposing the gage-tube toview and for opening its connection with the tank;

2. In a safety device for Water-gages, in combination, a tank or otherreceptacle, a gage-glass, connection between the tank and the glass, avalve in the connection, an obscuring-shield in front of the glass, andmeans for moving the shield away from in front of the glass when thevalve is opened.

3. In a safety device for water-gages, in combination, a tank or otherreceptacle, a gage-glass, connection between the tank and the glass, avalve in the connection, a shield in front ofthe gage-glass, connectionbetween the valve and the shield, and means for holding the valvenormally closed and the shield in front of the gage-glass.

4. In a safety device for' water-gages, in combination, a tank or otherreceptacle, a gage-glass, connections between the gage-glass and thetank, a valve in each of said connections, means for moving the valvessimultaneously, an obscuring-shield normally in front of the gage-glass,and means for moving the shield when the valves are opened.

5. In a safety device for water-gages, in combination, a tank or otherreceptacle, a gage-glass, connection between the upper and lower ends ofthe tank and the gage-glass, a valve in each of said connections, meansfor moving the valves simultaneously, a spring holding the valvesnormally closed, a shield in front of the gage-glass, and a connectionbetween the valves and the shield.

6. In a safety device for water-gages, in combination, a tank or otherreceptacle, a gagetube,connections between the upper and lower ends ofthe tank and the tube, a valve in each of said connections, a rodconnecting the two valves, a spring holding the valves normally closed,an apertured tubular shield inclosing the gage-tube and comprising apair of telescoping sections, anda gear connection between the rod andthe shield.

'7. In a safety device for water-gages, in combination, a tank or otherreceptacle, a gage-glass,connections between the upper and lower ends ofthe gage-glass and the tank, a valve in each of said connections,connection between the valves, and a spring for holding the valvesnormally closed.

8. In combination, a tank and a transparent gage-tube therefor, ashield, a valve for closing communication between the tank and thegage-tube, means for holding the shield so as to obscure the gage-tubeand for holding the valve closed, and means for simultaneously movingthe shield to bring the gage-tube into View and for opening the Valve.

9. The combination with a transparent water-gage, of an obscuring-shieldremovably covering the gage, a valve for closing the gage, and operativeconnection between the valve and the shield.

JOHN A. MOSHER.

